


Under Consideration

by zephyras13



Series: Exiles [5]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Betrayal, Discovery, Drabble Collection, Gen, Gotei 13 - Freeform, Male-Female Friendship, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-18
Updated: 2012-02-18
Packaged: 2017-10-31 09:33:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/342519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephyras13/pseuds/zephyras13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji is not so sure what to think of Rukia's new life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Consideration

Even though Kurotsuchi-taichou freaks him the fuck out, Renji endures his mocking words and disturbing insinuations to get access to his surveillance team's footage. The psycho assured him that any important developments would be reported to the rest of the captains, but Renji's not interested in important developments. Or, they're not the only things he's interested in. It's been decades since he last saw Rukia, and now to find her hiding in the mortal world...Well, he wants to know what's she's even doing there, and if he has to wade through footage of her pretending to be _one of them_ to find out, then so be it. And that's how it begins.

Rukia, he discovers, has gone completely native. She's even _living_ with a human, a _man_ , though Renji honestly can't tell what their exact relationship is as the orange haired human is constantly grumpy and elusive. She works at some sort of shop, selling superfluous accessories to women in exchange for human currency and her demeanor is even more disgusting during those periods of time that Renji almost gives up in contempt. She's obviously not even the same person he grew up with all those years ago and he doesn't know why he even bothers, but for some reason he can't stop watching.

It doesn't help that he's forced to listen to the commentary of the surveillance team who take different shifts to observe their mark and have come up with creepily complicated theories about the interpersonal relationships of Rukia and the humans she surrounds herself with.

"Obviously, she's completely in love with him," this one girl with green hair keeps saying, scribbling notes onto her notepad enthusiastically. "Why else would she live among humans? Oh, it's so romantic!"

"You mean the Ichigo kid?" another says incredulously. "Who would be in love with him? He barely ever talks and he's always scowling. Besides, I think he has a thing with the brown haired girl with the big boobs."

"Nah, she's a lesbian."

"What?"

"C'mon, she's always hanging out with the karate girl. They're totally doing it."

It is really, _really_ stupid.

Renji learns pretty quickly not to take the surveillance team's word for it when they talk about things that happened between his visits. Still, the fact that they have nothing better to talk about proves that Rukia really has turned her back on her roots. Not once has she or anyone else around her mentioned Hollows or shinigami. Her human so-called "friends"obviously have no idea who she really is and Renji begins wondering why she's friends with them in the first place. How did they even meet? The surveillance team team estimates she's known them for a while, by the amount of pictures of their group together in Rukia's home, but obviously not long enough to notice that she doesn't age.

They're...they're happy pictures from what he's seen. There's one, on Rukia's bookshelf in her room, where's she looped both her arms over the necks of another girl with short black hair and the orange haired boy who's name Renji can never remember. Both girls are smiling and the boy is rolling his eyes exasperatedly. Then another, just of Rukia and the brown haired girl wearing yukata, on her bed side table. And the last, a group picture with all eight of them at the beach on the kitchen counter. The orange haired kid doesn't look particularly happy in this one either. Renji vaguely wonders if he even knows how to smile.

But the important thing is that Rukia _is_ smiling, something he hasn't seen her do since before they entered the Academy, ironically enough. For a while, he thinks that maybe, eventually, he could be okay with Rukia's betrayal. He finds himself hoping that Rukia doesn't have anything to do with Urahara Kisuke, because they're not children anymore and even if he doesn't understand her choices, he's only ever wanted her to be happy.

Still, despite how ridiculous and _human_ Rukia's life is, he can't help but pay attention when drama occurs.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this one's so short again! They'll be longer after this, I promise!
> 
> If you have any questions or comments, please review!


End file.
